Safety device for elevators.



A. GAGNON.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. 1916.

1,257,336. Patented Feb. 26,1918.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

1161x0120! flay/ml:

ATTORNEY WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDRE GAGNON, 0F BIDDEFORD, MAINE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDRE GAeNoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Biddeford, in the county of York and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety devices for elevators, and has for its primary object to provide improvements in means for automatically bringing the elevator car to a stop should the person of the operator or passengers, or should any article of merchandise carried by the car project or be projected beyond the limits thereof while the elevator is moving upwardly.

A further object is to provide means of this character which operates rapidly, so as to prevent injury to the persons or articles, and which may be arranged so as to reverse the direction of movement of the car immediately following the contact of the person or object upon the car with the improved safety device.

Still further objects reside in providing a mechanism of this character which is of simple and inexpensive construction; which has its parts so arranged and constructed as to reduce the possibility of wear or breakage of the parts to the minimum; which is automatic and positive in operation; which may be readily adapted to elevators or lifts of various types and constructions; and which will prove thoroughly eflicient in the attainment of the ends set forth.

With these objects together with others in view, the invention resides in the novel formation, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the application of the safety mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention to an elevator well;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the mechanism for controlling the movements of the car;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the improved controlling bar and the guide therefor;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the circuit closing frame;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken upon line 55 of Fig. 4;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 26 1918,

Application filed November 8, 1916. 7

Serial No. 130,209.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view taken upon line 66 of Fig. 4; and V Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Associated with the elevator lifting and lowering machinery is a cable indicated at 10, which passes over a pulley 11 within the elevator well, and which, for the purposes of this description, when moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 acts to stop the said machinery. If desired, continued movement of the cable in the direction indicated by the arrow past a predetermined point may operate the machinery to reverse the direction of travel of the elevator or lift. Secured to the rope or cable 10 is a block 12.

Arranged adjacent the cable and extending parallel therewith is a base or support 13, upon which is mounted a motor of conventional form as indicated at 14, the shaft of which carries a cog gearor pinion 16. This pinion is intermeshed with the teeth of a rack bar 17 the said bar'being mounted for vertical sllding movement in a guide or trackway supported upon a base and indicated generally at 18. The lower end of the bar 17 is provided with an outwardly extending clevis or cuff portion 19, which loosely incloses the adjacent portion of. the

cable 10 below the block '12. It will be observed that the lower end of the bar 17 is devoid of rack teeth, so that the bar is limited in its upward movement. When the motor 14 is energized, the pinion 16 moves the rack bar 17 upwardly whereupon the clevis 19 engages the block 12 and moves the cable 10 upwardly. This movement of the cable operates upon the elevator power mechanism to stop the same, whereupon the car-will be brought to a standstill. When the motor is deenergized, the rack bar'17 will assume normal position, as downward movement of the cable will operate through the block 12 to force the rack bar to the limit "100 of its downward movement.

The mechanism which I employ for energizing the motor 14, comprises a movable lever indicated at 20. In the present instance, this lever comprises a substantially U-shape frame, pivoted at the extremities of its arms in suitable brackets 21 secured to the under side of a floor adjacent the elevator shaft. The bight portion of the frame 20 is substantially flush with the vertical wall of the elevator shaft, and is adapted to be engaged by objects projecting from the side of the elevator car. Secured in spaced relation upon the under surface of the floor and projecting downwardly therefrom are pins 22, which extend through suitable openings 23 in the adjacent arms of the frame 201 These pins are arranged substantially midway the ends of the arm portions of the bracket or frame 20. Blocks A inclose the pin 22 and engage with the opposing faces of the adjacent frame arm, and lock nuts 25 hold the said blocks properly positioned upon the arms. The uppermost of the blocks carries a contact member 26, which is apertured centrally as shown for free sliding movement over the pin 22, and is cut away at its medial portion to provide relatively short radially disposed slots or openings '27.

Inclosing each pin 22 above the contact plate 26 when in normal or downward position is a second contact plate 28. This plate may be in the form of a disk as shown, and is limited against downward movement by a stud 29 extending through a suitable aperture in the pin below the disk 28. An eX- p'ansion spring 30 encircles each pin and forces the plate 28 downwardly firmly upon the pin'29. It will be observed that the pins or bolts 22 are firmly secured to the floor by blocks 31, the latter being insulated from the floor as shown.

The contact plates 26 are connected to one terminal '35 of an electric circuit which includes the motor 14, while the uppermost of the contact plates 28 are connected to the opposite terminal 36 of the said circuit. The arrangement is such that when the frame '20 is moved upwardly the "contact plates 2628 are engaged, whereupon a circuit is completed through the motor and the latter operates to slide the bar 17 upwardly. The significance of the upward movement of the bar has been related above; Should only one end of {the frame 20, which is substantially equal in width to that of the elevator we'll, be contacted and elevated, a circuit will be completed, and it is not necessary that the contacts at bothends of the frame be engaged, When the frame is moved upwardly, the holding studs 29 on the pins 22 are accommodated within the oppositely extending cut out portions 27 on the contact disks 26, whereby the disks 26-28 will be permitted to frictionally engage.

Arranged above the guide 18 isan electric switch indicated generally at d0. This switch is of conventional form and includes the usual-operating lever 41. This lever has its end projecting into the path of travel of the bar '17, and is normally held in closed position by ;a spring 42. The switch :is also included in the circuit with the motor 14:, and'when opened deenergizesthe-said motor.

The switch is located beyond the rack bar 17 a distance such that it will only be contacted after the bar has moved suiiiciently to stop the elevator operating mechanism. When the bar 17 engages the switch lever, it forces the same upwardly breaking the circuit through the motor and deenergizing the same.

In practice, a lever or frame 20 of the above described character is arranged upon each of the floors of the building and adjacent the elevator shaft or well. The wires connecting the contacts 262-8 of each frame are connected to common return wires as show-n, the said return wires include the motor 14 and switch 40. Should the body of a passenger upon the elevator protrude beyond the sides of the latter when the elevator or lift is moving upwardly, the protruding portion will engage the frame 20 as the elevator nears the floor above. This contact of the body with the frame causes the latter to move upwardly, whereupon the circuit will be closed and the motor 14 energized. Upward movement of the rack 17 then correspondingly moves the cable 10, and the power mechanism of the elevator or lift is deenergized. The elevator in this manner is brought to a standstill before injury to the person is possible. Engagement of the upper-end of the rack bar 17 with the switch lever 41 breaks the circuit through the motor, and the latter will perm-it the rack bar 17 to gravitate to nor mal position. It is thus seen thatthe adevic'e is wholly automatic, and will operate from any of the various :fioors equipped with the tilting frame.

While the present is a disclosure :of the preferred embodiment of "the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but that various changes may be made in the construction, arrangement, and proportion of parts, without departing from the :spirit :of the invention, .as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a safety device for elevators, the combination with a cable for controlling the movement of a car, :of a motor, a bar adapted to be moved by said :motor when the latter is energized, a connection between "said bar and cable, means for closing a circuit through said motor, and a :switch 'said circuit beyond and in the path of :travel of said ibar.

2. In a safety device for elevators, the combination with a cable for controlling the movement of a car, of .a motor, a bar adapted to be moved by said motor when the latter is energized, ;a calf on said 'bar linclosing said cable, a :b'lockon said cable, means for closing a circuit through said motor, and a switch :in the path of. travel of said bar and adapted when moved to break said circuit. I30

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a motor, of a frame pivoted at one end for swinging movement, pins arranged in spaced relation and extending through said frame, contact members carried by said pins, contact members carried by said frame, and the said contact members being included in an electric circuit with said motor.

In a device of the class described, the combination with a motor, of a U-frame pivoted at the extremities of its arms and capable of swinging upwardly and downwardly, pins projecting through said arms,

studs projecting through said pins, contact members resting upon said studs, springs for forcing said contact members in engagement with said studs, contacts carried by said arms and being ada ted to engage said pin contacts when said ame is raised, and the said pin contacts and frame contacts being included in a circuit with said motor.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDRE GAGNON. Witnesses:

FRED. C. HILL, 1 SOLOMON H. MERCER.

Gopie: oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner 01' Patents,

- Washington, D. O. 

